Smartphone GPS apps can be useful to the police to recover stolen vehicles.

Sgt. Cliff Froehlich of the Moose Jaw Police Service said that while there have been no instances of a car GPS being used to locate a stolen vehicle in Moose Jaw, the Find My Phone GPS app was recently used to apprehend a thief who stole an iPhone and then a vehicle.

“It’s not only convenient and useful for the owner, but also in situations like this when the police are involved, it’s definitely a tool that we access and use to our benefit,” said Froehlich.

On Oct. 28, at 11:07 p.m., police received a report of a stolen iPhone. The owner of the iPhone mentioned there was the Find My Phone app on the iPhone and provided the username and password to access the app.

Police logged on with the account information and located the phone in downtown Moose Jaw “almost immediately,” Froehlich said. Police discovered that the thief — still having the stolen iPhone on person — stole a vehicle in the same area. Officers tried to stop it and were able to get a licence plate number.

“The iPhone was now in the vehicle continuing north out of town and was stopped by police in Saskatoon,” said Froehlich. “(Using) the iPhone app, they were able to follow (the phone) on the Internet and let the Saskatoon police know where the vehicle was headed.”